Philadelphia considering sick time mandate

Philadelphia City Council is reviewing a bill to mandate sick leave for private and public sector workers in the city. 

The bill would give people working in Philadelphia the ability to earn up to nine sick days a year.  Councilman Bill Greenlee says it is needed urgently.

 “In a tough economy people have to make the choice of whether to go to work sick or not getting paid and that’s not a choice they should have to make in the year 2011,” Greenlee said.

 Rob Wonderling of the Chamber of Commerce says businesspeople cannot afford to offer sick time in this difficult economy.

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 “We think particularly with such a high unemployment rate in the city of Philadelphia close to 11 percent and the cost to implement this measure it’s not the right policy and not the right time,” Wonderlimg said.

 Workers who don’t have sick leave now say the germs they spread could be more devastating to a business than the time off.

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